Should the Phoenix Suns shut down TJ Warren for the rest of the season?

Suns forward TJ Warren hasn't played in 45 days including the All-Star break.(Photo: Nick Wass, AP)

OAKLAND – TJ Warren has been on the shelf for way longer than he’d like.

“At the end of the day, he’s a hooper,” Suns guard Jamal Crawford said. “He wants to hoop. He doesn’t care about the attention or everything else that comes along with it. He loves to play basketball. I know it’s eating him up inside, but I think they’ll be an even bigger chip when he comes back. Like he can’t wait to get back out there.”

The team’s second-leading scorer will miss will miss his 19th consecutive game Sunday at defending NBA champion Golden State with what’s being called right ankle soreness, but that doesn’t fully describe the injury.

It’s a bruise on the ankle that’s kept Warren out since Jan. 22 when he reinjured it in the first half of a 27-point home loss to Minnesota. Those types of injuries have been known to take up to two months to heal.

Suns coach Igor Kokoskov has said it’s about pain tolerance for Warren, who made the trip for back-to-back road games at Portland and Golden State.

But with only 14 games remaining after Sunday's game, is it time for Phoenix to shut Warren down for the rest of the season?

“I don’t have that answer,” Kokoskov said before the Suns upset Milwaukee on Monday. “I’m just open as a coach. My approach is whoever is available to play, I’m going to try to use and incorporate in the game plan and the rotation and try to see if he can help us win games.”

Kokoskov reiterated he couldn't answer the question and said he wanted to see how quickly Warren can recover. He hasn’t played in 46 calendar days, including the All-Star break.

TJ Warren reacts after being called for a technical foul during the first half of a game against the Pacers on Jan. 15.(Photo: Doug McSchooler/AP)

That alone indicates this is more than just soreness, but that’s been known for quite some time.

An MRI revealed the bruise back in late November. He felt discomfort against Indiana and played through it the next night at Los Angeles against the Clippers.

Warren missed just five games before returning Dec. 10 against the Clippers. The 6-foot-8 forward then played 23 games before reinjuring it in late January against the Timberwolves.

Kokoskov has said it’s a “(chronic) thing.”

That doesn’t sound good, and Warren trying to play through the injury likely made it worse.

In his fifth NBA season, Warren has dealt with injuries throughout his career. He hasn’t played more than 66 games (2016-17) in a season. If he were to return Wednesday at home against Utah and played the remaining 14 games, that would put him at 57 games.

Like any injury, some days feel better than others, but a key part to Warren’s game is creating off the bounce. That’s tough when the ankle either hurts or could suddenly start hurting on a cut or move.

Outside of the injury itself, it might not be ideal to bring him back, especially with the way the Suns have been playing as of late.

Phoenix went 4-1 in the previous five games going into Saturday’s matchup at Portland where they lost 127-120. The Suns have found a rhythm not only in terms of play, but rotations as well.

Warren is one of the team’s best players and has greatly improved his 3-point shooting from 22.2 percent last season to 42.8 percent this season.

Warren can create his own shot and play the four, plus he's shown improvement as a defender. This season he's averaging 18 points per game.

Suns forward Dragan Bender fouls Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo during the first quarter of a game March 4 at Talking Stick Resort Arena.(Photo: Michael Chow/The Republic)

With Warren out, the Suns are finding out what they have in other players like Dragan Bender, who has been starting at the four.

The Suns didn’t pick up their fourth-year option on Bender. He's played in just 31 games going into Sunday, but has been seeing more action as of late.

“It’s fun,” Bender said before Phoenix beat New York, 107-96, on Wednesday. “We’ve been playing really good the last three or four games. It’s fun to be out there and being part of the team mentality that we’ve had for the last two or three games. It’s been pretty fun. We just want to keep it rolling. I think we have good momentum. We’re in really good shape right now.”

Bender has scored a total of 18 points over his five starts. He's averaged just 16 minutes of action in those games, but Kokoskov has been pleased with the 7-footer’s play.

“He’s a very, very smart player,” Kokoskov said. “He understands the concepts. Basketball IQ is pretty solid. It’s easier for him to adjust to the teams we are playing. That’s one of the positives that Bender has. His ability to understand the concepts and what we do with the game plan and to execute. I love what he’s brought to the team. Gives us stability on both sides of the court.”

Bender replaced Josh Jackson in the starting lineup to help Phoenix match up with New Orleans’ size of Anthony Davis and Julius Randle.

“Both of those guys are young players,” Kokoskov said. “We shouldn’t feel bad or feel sorry for guys that’s starting or not starting. Both of them, Bender and Josh Jackson, are still young players and establishing themselves.”

Up next

Suns at Golden State Warriors 5:30 p.m. (FSAZ) — The Suns are 0-3 against the defending NBA champion Warriors (45-20), who are coming off a 122-105 win over Denver at home on Friday in which Klay Thompson went for 39 points. The Suns return home to face Utah on Wednesday after back-to-back games against Portland and Golden State.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.